


Meeting Mary

by spowell Once and Future Series (SPowell)



Series: Once and Future [38]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M, post-canon AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-08
Updated: 2014-12-08
Packaged: 2018-02-28 14:23:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2735882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SPowell/pseuds/spowell%20Once%20and%20Future%20Series
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur and Merlin go back to Anthony's house.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Meeting Mary

Arthur can feel how tense Merlin is. Oddly, Arthur isn’t even a fraction as nervous about seeing Gwen again as he had been about seeing his father. They approach Anthony’s house and knock on the door. Bedivere begins to bark inside, and Arthur reaches over to entwine his fingers with Merlin’s.

The door opens. “Arthur! Merlin!” Anthony smiles and stands back. “Come in.”

They walk into the house, and immediately Arthur spots Gwen rising from the sofa. The moment is surreal. She looks much the same, although her hair is shorter and she wears makeup. It’s very odd to see her in jeans.

“This is Mary Withrow,” Anthony says. “I’ve told her all about your last visit.”

Gwen/Mary smiles. “Hello.” Her eyes look over both Arthur and Merlin and settle on Merlin.

“You seem…very familiar.”

“I do?” Merlin asks, obviously surprised.

“Yes. I feel I know you. I feel like we’re…friends.”

“We once were,” Merlin says. “Er, that is, according to my dreams we were. Doesn’t Arthur look familiar?”

Mary looks again at Arthur, eyes searching his face. “Yes—familiar, but I can’t recall anything, really.”

This is unexpected. Arthur glances at Merlin as they all take seats in the parlour.

“What is it that you dream, Mary, if I may ask?” Arthur takes the proffered tea cup from Anthony.

Mary frowns in concentration, watching Anthony pour another cup. “Anthony is in some of my dreams. And an older man…with bushy grey brows. But mostly I see a tall man with strawberry blond hair and a beard. I’m very close to him, and I have a lot of responsibility. There’s a castle. I think the two of us are in love.”

Arthur exchanges a speculative look with Merlin. “Leon?”

Mary leans forward excitedly. “Leon…yes, that sounds right! How did you know?”

“A similar man has appeared in my dreams,” Arthur lies smoothly. “And his name is Leon.”

Anthony serves tea and the group talks, communication becoming easier as the hours pass. By the time Arthur and Merlin get up to leave, it feels as though they are all good friends.

“Do come again,” Anthony says. “It gets lonely here.”

“We will,” Arthur promises. “And we would love for you to visit us in our flat. It was nice meeting you, Mary.”

“Same here,” she smiles. Arthur feels no connection to her whatsoever. It’s as though a chapter closes.

Back in the car, Arthur says, “Well, so much for my epic romance with Gwen,” and laughs.

Merlin chuckles and starts the car. “So, do you think Gwen became very close to Leon after…”

“After I died? It certainly sounds that way. And in a lot of ways, it makes sense. Leon always held such respect for Gwen. He would have been by her side to help her. They had similar natures.”

“Wow. I just didn’t expect that.”

“Neither did I.”

They drive for a while in silence.

“Would you like to stop somewhere to eat?” Merlin asks as they approach the city. “I’m getting really hungry, and those scones Anthony made were atrocious.”

“Did you think so, too? I was afraid of insulting him, and I kept slipping them to Bedivere.”

“That poor dog.”

They decide on Italian and head for a well-known restaurant.

“Merlin, what are the people at that table staring at us like that for?” Arthur asks after they’ve ordered.

“Hm?” Merlin glances in the direction Arthur is looking. “Oh—I expect they disapprove of you holding my hand.” He indicates their entwined hands on the table.

“Whatever for?” Arthur’s eyes stare belligerently back and the people turn away to their meal.

“I’ve told you that some people aren’t very accepting of gay couples.”

“But we aren’t hurting them by sitting here holding hands.”

“No, but they think that two men in love is an abomination.”

Arthur doesn’t know why this should be. Certainly, in his time men married women because it was important to have heirs, but a bit of buggery on the side was ignored. He says as much to Merlin.

“In Camelot and the surrounding principalities, yes, but in other parts of Europe sodomy was considered a crime punishable by castration,” Merlin says, and Arthur winces at the thought.

“At least now they mainly just scowl at us and beat us up.” Merlin gives Arthur a sardonic smile.

Arthur shakes his head, unsettled.

“I’ve learned just to not let it bother me, Arthur. It isn’t worth the headache. We can’t change people.”

Their food arrives, and they concentrate on eating.

Later, at home, Aithusa curls up next to them in bed.

“What was it like to see Gwen again?” Merlin asks, his fingers trailing over Arthur’s bare arm.

“It was odd. She was so much as I remembered her, but at the same time, not at all. I didn’t feel anything, really.”

“I was surprised she remembered me,” Merlin says.

“You were great friends, Merlin.”

“Yes. But—“

“But what?” Arthur raises his head from Merlin’s chest and looks at him.

“Well, at some point back then, I started to feel as though we were in competition for you. At the time, I didn’t know if she felt it. Now I think perhaps not.”

Arthur presses a kiss to Merlin’s chest. “Silly man. There was never any competition at all.”


End file.
